Tee Time

By Moe Godat 

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Payne’s Valley Golf Course, Hollister, MO | Photography courtesy of Big Cedar Lodge: Payne’s Valley Golf Course is the first ever public access golf course designed by 82-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods and his course design firm, TGR Design, in conjunction with Big Cedar Lodge. Created in honor of Payne Stewart, an Ozarks native and World Golf Hall of Famer, Payne’s Valley offers an experience open to all skill levels with spectacular views of the Ozark mountain landscape. Opened in September of 2020, the par 72 course was also designed in partnership with Johnny Morris, a conservationist and founder of both Bass Pro Shops and Big Cedar Lodge. Morris’s vision for the course was to fuse golf and nature together, bringing new awareness to the importance of beauty of the Ozark landscape. Payne’s Valley stands out for more than just its famous designers; it boasts an inviting layout, water features, large fairways and greens and an extraordinary 19th hole called The Big Rock at Payne’s Valley. Water features include several natural lakes, streams and waterfalls throughout the walkable course. If you’re looking to stay at Payne’s Valley, check out their cottages, built to showcase the stunning sunsets overlooking the mountains and the course.

Pebble Beach Golf Links,Pebble Beach, CA | Photography courtesy of Pebble Beach Golf Links: In the early 20th century, the Pebble Beach area offered beautiful scenic views, but the wide tract of land destined to become the Pebble Beach Golf Links needed an inexpensive renovation to make it a profitable real estate investment. Samuel F.B. Morse requested the help of two amateur golfers, Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, to design a challenging course that capitalized on the coast’s scenic beauty. Neither of the amateur golfers had experience in golf course design, but the final product they created together has stood the test of time with remarkably few changes over the past 100 years. Now guests play as a testament to the pair’s talent and vision. Since its official opening in 1919, the Pebble Beach Golf Links has hosted many amateur golf competitions, thus honoring the memory of Neville and Grant. A notable change to the course occurred before the 1929 U.S. Amateur, when Olympic Gold Medalist Chandler Egan came in to touch up the course. He is chiefly responsible for the rugged dunes dotting the fourth and sixth holes. Bursting with gorgeous views and events galore, the Pebble Beach Golf Links is the perfect golf getaway.

Cabot Cape Breton, Inverness, Canada | Photography by Jacob Sjoman, courtesy of Cabot Cape Breton: Cabot Cape Breton has superb lodging, dining and three amazing courses both surrounded by the gorgeous Canadian coastline. Designed by Canadian golf course architect Rod Whitman as the country’s first authentic links, the Cabot Links is the perfect marriage of golf and natural scenery. Each of the 18 holes offers an ocean view, and five of the holes are directly adjacent to the beach. The other course, Cabot Cliffs, is a more rugged take on the sport, complete with unfamiliar terrain and the uncommon beauty that accompanies it. Designed by legendary architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Cabot Cliffs is carved out of the Cape Breton coastline and boasts high cliffs and rolling dunes. The newest and shortest course, The Nest, was finished and opened for play in August 2020, designed by Rod Whitman and Dave Axland. Though 10 holes instead of the others’ 18, the par 3 course still offers the same shot variety and stunning views as Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs. If you’re looking to visit Cape Cabot Breton, consider staying in either the timeless and modern lodge or one of the location's many expertly designed golf villas.